Have Hope, Brother
by Pennethril the Tale Weaver
Summary: Lin Zu and her older brother Zuko have been traveling the world for two years in search of the long lost Avatar. With Zuko on the edge of despair, can Lin Zu renew their hope? Not a Mary-Sue OC! **NEW PEN NAME**
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine. **

**AN: Hi! This is my first foray into multi-chapter stories! I have no idea if this is going to go well, or crash and burn… **

**Anyway! Here's some stuff you might need to know: this is AU! Meaning not everything in this story will follow the canon storyline! Also, Lin Zu is my OC, she is between Zuko and Azula in age, so we assume that at the start of this, Zuko is fifteen, Lin Zu is fourteen, and Azula is thirteen, though she doesn't come into play for a while at least. **

**Oh, and no pairings as of yet. Though I will take suggestions in reviews… Um… I think that's it… oh, in case anyone was wondering, this posting is due to a lovely person on DeviantArt who saw a picture I drew of Lin Zu and said she would read the story, if any of you are interested, I have an account there (which you can reach from my profile), and you can see a picture of Lin Zu, though she will probably be revamped.**

**OK, I think I'm done now! Enjoy ^^**

Prince Zuko was standing at the helm of the ship, staring out into the empty sea before him. He turned when he sensed someone come up behind him.

"Come now, Prince Zuko, it is time for your training." Uncle Iroh stood behind him, next to his sister, Lin Zu. Both Zuko and Iroh wore their armour, but Lin Zu was in a simple long red tunic and black leggings.

"Come on, Brother, time for me to beat your butt," Lin Zu said cheekily. This made Zuko smile a little; she was the only one who could really get him to smile these days, especially since their banishment.

"We'll see Lin Zu, we'll see," Zuko smirked and took up a fighting stance. Lin Zu followed suit, and it wasn't until Uncle said "Begin," that the sparring started.

Uncle Iroh stood to the side as Zuko and Lin Zu performed Firebending moves as well as close combat exercises. Uncle corrected them on their forms every once in a while, but other than that, the crisp morning,- or at least they thought it was morning- they were so far south that the sun ceased rising and setting- was completely quiet except for the sounds of the mock battle and water lapping against the metal hull.

"That was very good," Uncle Iroh said when they were finished.

"Thank you Uncle," brother and sister replies, bowing politely. Uncle Iroh then excused himself to retire to his room.

Lin Zu sighed and went to lean on the railing next to where Zuko stood; he barely glanced at her, used to her dramatics by now.

"Zuko," she all but whined, "I'm getting really sick of this boat. Is there any way I could convince you to let us go ashore somewhere for a while?"

"Lin Zu, we didn't come all this way just to turn around so that you could waste time on land," he said moodily.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get off this bloody ship once in a while! You hardly even let me off when we _do_ make port- don't know why I listen to you anyway," she snapped.

"Once we find the Avatar, we'll be able to go home, I'll have my honor back, and you'll never have to even look at another ship again," Zuko said, trying to be placating, but his frustration was showing.

"Honestly, I don't want to go 'home.' I'd rather live anywhere else as long as I had you and Uncle. And besides, you don't need Dad to _give _you your honor back. And besides do you really think that Dad's just going to welcome us back with open arms, and he and Azula are just going to magically be… what, _nice_?

"The way I see it: if Dad really wanted us back, he, one, wouldn't have given you this completely impossible task of locating and capturing someone who no one has heard from in the last hundred years, and two, his parting words wouldn't have been 'and take this wretch with you; you're both completely spineless and maybe while at sea, neither of you will be able to bring more shame upon the Fire Nation than you already have.'"

Throughout her angry rant, she could see Zuko's anger growing; she could see steam literally billowing off of him from the heat growing inside him mixing with the cold air of the South Pole, but she ignored it, tired of how he refused to see what was right in front of him. It was times like these when she wondered who was really the older sibling in this relationship.

"I know Lin Zu, okay? Are you happy? I know!" he growled once she was done. He took a deep breath, let his shoulders sag, and turned away.

"I know this whole thing is pointless, I know Father will never feel for us the way he does Azula. I know that, but I need to hope. I can't give up, because if I do, then he's won, and I can't let that happen," he admitted to the ice burgs floating in the cold sea.

Lin Zu deflated a bit. "You know what else you can do to make sure Father doesn't win?" she asked, coming up and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What?"

"You can be happy. If you can be happy outside of the stifling, cold environment he created for us in the palace of the Fire Nation, then I think that would be the ultimate way to get back at him: he wants to think we need him to survive, but we can show him that we don't. And it's like one of those proverbs Uncle likes to quote:" she took up a stance reminiscent of their Uncle, "'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain.'

"So what do you say? Can you give it a try? For me?"

He looked at her for a moment, his head turned slightly. At the angle she was standing at, she could only see the part of his face that was unburned. Then, his face broke out into a small smile, which she returned whole-heartedly.

"Yeah, I think I can do that for you Lin Zu," he said. She hugged him around the waist and snuggled against his chest.

"So does this mean we can forget about chasing the Avatar and maybe land somewhere where we can play in the snow?" she asked after a moment or two of silence.

Zuko laughed, finally, carefree and easy. "Sure I'll get the helmsman to stop somewhere, but I still want to find the Avatar. Maybe if we do, we can help him stop the war."

"Really, Zuko? Is that why we've really been searching so diligently all this time? You want to stop the war?" Lin Zu asked, daring to hope.

"Yes, at first it was for my honor and to be able to go home, but as we stopped in more and more places, we saw so much wrong with this war, families torn apart, innocent people killed, and not just Earth Kingdom, but Fire Nation as well. That was the final straw for the Fire Lord after all; my standing up for innocents being sent to die. I didn't want to say anything, because I thought that you might still want to go home," he confessed.

"Oh, Zuko, I am all for finding the Avatar to help him stop the war, but I thought that _you_ were still bent on honor. We're both just silly aren't we?" Lin Zu said smiling.

Soon, Zuko was ordering the helmsman to make towards the nearest landmass. When the helmsman asked if he would be needing some soldiers to be ordered to prepare for landing, Zuko replied negatively and left the helmsman and Lieutenant Ji, who had been standing at attention just inside the door, looking quizzically at each other. Lieutenant Ji just shrugged once they were alone.

While, Zuko had been ordering the helmsman to find land, Lin Zu had been informing their uncle of their plans. For a moment, Iroh thought he was dreaming, but his niece's radiant smile and bone crushing hug convinced him that it was real. He smiled, laughed and hugged her back, promising that after he dressed, he would take his tea on deck.

However, little did the helmsman or any of the crew know, they were now heading to a spit of land near a Water Tribe settlement. The thick, billowing smoke sent up by the coal furnaces that powered the ship mixed with the falling snow, which is what alerted the Water Tribe to their presence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

**Yay, chapter 2! **

**Umm… I don't think I have anything important to say, other than: please, if you fav or put this story on alert, it would be nice to know why. The only other person I can talk about this story to is my beta PurpleArmadillo, and it would be nice to have someone else's views on it.**

**OK, I think I'm done now! Enjoy ^^;**

Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe was sitting in his customary place at the head of the snow built structure that served as a commons for the village. It had been a few years since the Fire Nation's last raid, but the missing faces and the rebuilding efforts still took their toll on the now smaller village. Hakoda had wanted to take what warriors were left and set sail for the Earth Kingdom to help with the war effort, but after some deliberation with his second-in-command, Bato, it was decided that for the time being, it was more important to rebuild their homes and lives.

And it was a good thing they stayed, just a few days ago, his children had gone out fishing (how Katara managed to convince her brother to let her come was still beyond Hakoda) but they didn't return in the same boat they left in, oh no, they were brought back by the Avatar and his flying bison.

Hakoda's musings were cut short at the cry of "Dad!" as his eldest child, Sokka, stumbled into the meetinghouse.

"What's the matter, son?" Hakoda asked, standing. Two words caused him to freeze momentarily before grabbing a spear and rushing outside: "Black snow." Now, he wondered, did this mean the Fire Nation knew the Avatar had returned?

Women, children, and warriors alike were gathered in the village center watching gray and black snow fall over their village.

"Bato! Have you seen the fleet?" Hakoda asked upon seeing the man.

"I sent Niko to the shore to scout out how many ships there were," Bato replied.

"Well, in the meantime, let's prepare ourselves, even one Fire Navy ship could

mean disaster," Hakoda ordered. The warriors moved off to apply war paint and armour, while the women and youngest children scrambled to fill packs with food and blankets, should they need to abandon the village. Soon, Hakoda was left alone with his two children, fifteen-year-old Sokka, and fourteen year old Katara, and the twelve-year-old Avatar, Aang.

"What do you want us to do, Dad?" Sokka asked while Katara stood beside him looking worried but determined; she was the only waterbender among them since the last raid by the Fire Nation.

"How about we wait for Niko to get back, and then make plans?" Hakoda suggested. "But Katara, can you bend an escape route in the back wall of the meeting house so that the women and children can escape if need be?"

"Of course Dad," she agreed, moving away.

When she was gone, Sokka turned to his father; "What do you think they want?" he asked. Aang started to look guilty

"I'm not sure Sokka. It could be that they heard about your sister and Aang somehow, but whatever they want, it can't be good," Hakoda said seriously, turning in the direction of the shore to wait for Niko's return.

He didn't have to wait long, for Niko was spotted moving almost imperceptibly among the snowdrifts: there was a reason he was one of their best scouts.

"Chief Hakoda!" he hailed upon his approach.

"Niko, what news do you have?"

"There is only one ship from what I could see, sir, and it was a small one at that, looking decades old at least. They didn't seem to see us, for they sailed right past our settlement and have landed on an empty stretch of ice to the northwest," Niko replied.

"Very good, thank you Niko," Hakoda said. Niko bowed respectfully, and hurried off.

Hakoda and Sokka, with Aang trailing along behind them, went to seek out Bato; he and most of the other warriors were gathered near the wall of the village.

"Bato, I'm going to take you and a few others northwest to find out what the Fire Nation is up to, the rest of you, I want to stay near village," Hakoda said. Bato made to pick the few that would come with him and Hakoda.

"Dad?" Sokka said hesitantly, "Can I come?" Hakoda smiled a little.

"Sure Son, you can come."

"You're letting Sokka go?" Katara spoke up, returning from the meetinghouse. Sokka grimaced, knowing she would somehow talk their father into making him stay, but what she said next surprised him,

"I want to come too."

"What!" Sokka exclaimed, but was ignored.

"Are you sure Katara?" Hakoda asked; he knew she was a waterbender, but they didn't have a master here in the South Pole and Katara was still only a beginner, and not only that, but she didn't have any training in any weaponry.

"I'm sure Dad; I managed to create ice a couple weeks ago," she said.

"Hey, I'll come too if it's me they want, not that I'm really understanding what this is all about…" Aang interjected.

"Alright, let's find some armour for you three, and Aang, let me explain…." he said, only a little uncertainly.

The ramp was barely down before Lin Zu was rushing out into the snow and ice, laughing, her brother following at a more sedate pace. Their pointed-toed boots left tracks, which were all but concealed by the sweeping long, deep red cloaks.

"Come on Zuzu! This is so cool! Literally and figuratively!" she proclaimed, laughing and falling back into a snowdrift throwing handfuls of snow in the air above her.

"Look, I know I promised you we'd stop and play in the snow, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable being out in the open like this," Zuko said looking around, turning slightly away from his sister, who pouted.

"Really Zuzu, we're in the middle of the South Pole! What's going to happen? Besides, the ship and crew are right there," she said, standing up and brushing some of the snow from her cloak.

"I know…" he said, but was surprised when something collided with the back of his head. Whirling around, he glared at Lin Zu who just smiled innocently back at him with her hands behind her back.

"What was that for!" Zuko yelled.

"Fun," she said simply, pulling another concealed snowball out from behind her back and throwing it right into his face. Zuko's look was priceless and she began laughing uproariously. Zuko glared for a moment, before he cracked and a smile formed.

"I'll get you for that!" he declared, scooping up some snow and lobbing it at her. She shrieked and ran, scooping up some ammunition as she went.

Soon, the two were chasing each other around the area throwing snow at each other's faces, shrieking, and, if they got close enough, stuffing snow down the backs of each other's cloaks.

After Hakoda spoke to Aang about the goings-on in the world, it was decided that he would be left in the village while others went to investigate the ship. A select group of Water Tribe warriors surrounded the bit of land that the two ex- Fire Nation Royals were playing on. Hakoda was surprised to see the two Fire Nation kids running around and throwing snowballs at each other. He turned to Bato and nodded, best to apprehend them now before the soldiers came and find out what they were up to.

Lin Zu had just stood to throw a snowball when she found she couldn't move her feet: they were frozen to the ground.

"Hey! I'm stuck!" she yelled, rubbing her hands together and getting ready to melt the ice. She looked up from focusing on her hands to see a spear being wielded by a serious looking, war-painted, Water Tribesman. She gasped and tried to step back, forgetting that her feet were frozen, and only succeeded in falling backward into another equally grim tribesman.

Lin Zu looked around frantically, but couldn't see any sign of Zuko.

"Where's my brother?" she demanded, somewhat shakily of the tribesmen. Unsurprisingly, they didn't answer, simply restrained her hands and started leading her off, supposedly to their village. She felt eyes on her and turned to catch a girl, probably not much older than herself quickly averting her eyes.

They passed through the little village quickly, but Lin Zu could still feel the eyes of the villagers ogling her as she was steered past into the large communal structure. Inside, there were only a bunch of warriors with no sign of her brother. She was forced to her knees, which froze almost as soon as they touched the ground, before a man who appeared to be the leader of these people. She caught sight of the girl from before; apparently she was the water bender, which would explain why she was there in the first place.

"Who are you?" the man she was forced to kneel before asked authoritatively, yet not unkindly.

"My name is Lin Zu," she replied demurely.

"Where is the rest of the fleet?" one man demanded angrily.

"What fleet? We're not part of a fleet: my brother and I are traveling with our uncle and a small crew," she said.

A cry of "Liar!" went up amongst the warriors, and Lin Zu shrank back from the roomful of angry men.

"That's enough!" their chief yelled, effectively silencing them.

"How old are you Lin Zu?" Hakoda asked, part of him dreading the answer.

"Fourteen," she replied, looking much younger in a slightly too large cloak and mussed hair.

Hakoda was able to keep his face impassive, but he cringed inwardly- after all, his Katara was but fourteen too.

"Can you tell me why you're here Lin Zu?" he asked, hearing someone snort derisively, but choosing to ignore them.

"I'm sorry! It's my fault we stopped! My brother wanted to keep going, but I wanted to play in the snow, and he hardly ever denies me anything. Please, it's not his or the crew's fault! We didn't even know there was a village nearby!" she said frantically.

"Please don't hurt my brother! I just want to know he's okay."

"I believe you," Hakoda said before nodding to Bato and Katara. Katara melted the ice that encased Lin Zu's knees with a quick motion as Bato approached Lin Zu, who watched him warily. When he pulled out a knife, her eyes went wide and then closed quickly and tightly, but Bato simply went around her and cut the bonds. She looked up at Hakoda in surprise.

He smiled slightly and said, "Bring in the boy."

Lin Zu grinned: "Let me guess, he was too busy demanding to be let go and struggling that you probably had to freeze his mouth shut before you could learn his name."

"You're good," Hakoda said appraisingly.

"Nah, I just know my brother," she shrugged.

Two men guided a still bound and ice-gagged Zuko into the room; however his bonds were soon removed. 

"Lin Zu!" Zuko said in surprise before he found himself with an armful of little sister, "are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about you. Are you ok?" she asked, moving back slightly so she could look at him better.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine."

"Oh! Sir, this is my brother, Zuko," she said turning to face Hakoda. "Zuko this is… um….?"

"Chief Hakoda," Hakoda supplied. The Water tribesman looked on, amused, as the two quickly dipped their heads in respectful, traditional Fire Nation bows.

"There's no need for that," Hakoda said, chuckling. "How old are you Zuko?"

Zuko almost didn't answer due to the automatic response generated in him to bow deferentially to those in positions of power, but Lin Zu elbowed him in the ribs.

"Sixteen," he ground out.

"You're both quite young. Why don't we get you back to your ship before your Uncle worries," Hakoda said, standing.

"No need, sir, I think he's here," a man entering the tent informed them gravely.

"Don't worry, Uncle's very understanding," Lin Zu said reassuringly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

**I apologize: this took longer to update, and it is a lot shorter than the other two chapters, but it was just such a good stopping point, I had to go with it…**

As they reached the center of the village, everyone was once again gathered to watch the approach of Uncle, Lieutenant Ji, and two crew members; their names could not be identified because they wore the white skulls masks on their helmets. Zuko and Lin Zu went to meet them, and were quickly caught up in a tight hug by Uncle.

"Uncle, we're okay; just a little misunderstanding. Chief Hakoda was very nice, and was just bringing us back to the ship," Lin Zu explained.

Uncle Iroh looked suspicious for a moment before smiling and bowing in thanks to Hakoda. They were just about to take their leave when they spotted yet another crew member racing toward them through the snow, brandishing a scroll.

"General Iroh! A messenger hawk just came: it's from Captain Zhao," the man said. Uncle, Zuko, Lin Zu, and Lt. Ji quickly glanced at the Water tribesman.

"This could not have waited until we returned to the ship?" Uncle asked, with a hint of annoyance.

"I'm sorry sir, but it's very urgent," the man replied, handing Uncle the scroll. Uncle read it, his facial expression growing grimmer with every word.

"The Fire Lord has decreed for our capture and Commander Zhao is leading the search. He is nearby, judging by the date this was sent," Uncle said.

"What did you do to make the Fire Lord want to capture you?" Sokka asked.

"We're not exactly… what we said we were," Lin Zu admitted sheepishly, hiding behind her brother.

"Wait," Hakoda spoke up from where he stood contemplatively, "General Iroh. Not the Dragon of the West? The Fire Lord's brother."

Iroh nodded gravely, seeing no point in pretending anymore.

"Then, that means that you are the Crown Prince and Princess, children of the Fire Lord," Hakoda guessed. Zuko and Lin Zu nodded as well.

"But I'm still confused," Sokka interrupted, "If you are the Fire Lord's brother and you're the Crown Prince and Princess, why are you up for capture?"

"It's a long story," Zuko sighed.

"May we impose on your hospitality for a short while longer? I will take our ship and draw Zhao away, but can my niece and nephew stay here until I am able to return?" Uncle Iroh turned to Hakoda and asked.

"Sure," Hakoda said feeling slightly generous, but mostly curious.

"Thank you," Uncle said, bowing his head respectfully. "Is there anything on the ship that you would like to keep with you for the time being?" Uncle asked Lin Zu and Zuko.

"Yes, let's go- we'll hurry back," Lin Zu said, taking Zuko's arm and pulling him toward the ship with Uncle and the crewmembers following behind.

Lin Zu and Zuko parted ways once they reached the ship, but Uncle followed Lin Zu to her chamber, apparently sensing that she needed to say something.

"Uncle," she said while throwing some things into a sack, "You don't have to do this. We could flee to the Earth Kingdom, hideout there until Fire Lord Ozai and Captain, sorry Commander, Zhao give up on us."

"Lin Zu, things will only get worse, you know this. At some point in the very near future, my brother will put bounties on our heads and the entire world will be after us. I must do this to protect you and your brother for that much longer," Uncle said calmly.

"I know Uncle, but you're speaking as though you don't expect to come back," Lin Zu had not been looking at Uncle when she said this, but rather carefully folding some cloth around an ornate picture frame containing a miniature painting of her mother, Princess Ursa. When he comment was met by silence, she looked up sharply; "Uncle."

"You know I love you and Zuko as if you were my own, and I will try my hardest to come back to you, but Zhao is ruthless and I want you to be prepared for the possibility," Uncle said softly.

"I love you Uncle and I don't want you to go, but you must do what you feel is right. But, what will we do without you?" she asked, hugging Iroh tightly.

"You two are very strong and wise for your ages. I know you will be fine. Remember Lin Zu, you must support your brother and keep him on the path."

"I will Uncle," she promised tearfully.

"I will always be with you, my Lin Zu, my daughter," Uncle said, holding her close. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Lin Zu took a deep breath, stepped back and brushed away her tears. Not trusting herself to speak, she continued packing her things, with Uncle's help. And when they were finished, they went back out on deck to find Zuko already there, dual broadswords strapped to his back, and a bag at his feet. Uncle rushed over to him and swept Zuko into a hug, which was actually returned. After a couple of quiet words between them, Zuko stepped back and motioned Lin Zu to follow him. Upon reaching the gangplank, they turned to the assembled crew, and bowed formally. The crew responded in turn, and the two siblings alighted into the snow.

"Uncle doesn't think they're going to make it," Lin Zu said after a few steps.

"I know," Zuko said, keeping his eyes straight ahead, but his hand found Lin Zu's and squeezed comfortingly.

They arrived back at the Water Tribe village feeling out of place and despondent.

"Wanna go spar?" Lin Zu asked her brother.

"Yeah, but let's get away from the ice buildings; we don't want to melt their village on accident and have them turn on us," he said, exiting the village walls and making for open ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

**Hey those of you who still read this story! This has taken a while to upload, and I apologize, but these were a hectic few weeks. I am also very sorry that this chapter is so short, but hopefully the next one will be longer. **

**Please, please, I am shamelessly begging for a review! Just one would be fantastic, just to let me know that there's someone out there who is enjoying this!**

**Ok, enjoy the story**

Falling into the familiarity of sparring did wonders for their nerves. They could forget about everything except for the task at hand. There was no worrying about what would happen if Uncle didn't come back, and definitely no worrying about whether Commander Zhao was bearing down on them, ready to take them back to the Fire Nation and most likely to a dark cell somewhere.

They switched between Fire forms and martial arts forms like they had earlier that morning. And they went on for a long time before someone from the village dared to go near them to call them back to the village. It was the man, Bato.

Zuko and Lin Zu stopped sparring upon seeing his approach. Both were breathing heavily and a bit sweaty despite the chilling temperatures of the South Pole.

"Hey, you two, there's some food waiting for you in the village," he said.

"Thank you sir," they said respectfully. They followed him back to the village and tried to pretend that they couldn't feel the eyes of the entire village on them. They joined Chief Hakoda in his home for dinner. Bustling around the cooking fire was an old woman, even older than Uncle she looked; she was assumedly Chief Hakoda's mother. Sitting on Hakoda's right was his son Sokka, and next to Sokka was the girl Lin Zu had seen before, the one who had been looking at her when they first brought her to the village. Hakoda looked up when they entered.

"Ah, there you are. Thank you, Bato. Here Zuko, Lin Zu why don't you join us?" Hakoda said, indicating they should take seats next to the girl while the old woman doled out bowls of stew and fish, and Bato took a seat on Hakoda's left.

"Zuko, Lin Zu, this is my mother-in-law, Kana," the old woman gave a grunt and a nod, "my son Sokka, who you've met, and my daughter Katara." Katara simply looked at them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Lin Zu said, accepting a bowl from Kana. In it were a couple pieces of fish floating atop some sort of brown broth with strange dark purplish colored things in it. As Lin Zu was just about to ask what it was, Sokka had finally taken notice of his bowl and exclaimed,

"Alright! Stewed Sea prunes!" and begun eating with gusto and thus answering her question.

Lin Zu and Zuko looked at each other, then shrugged, deciding that they were pretty hungry, so they might as well try some. The broth was thick and oily; the sea prunes had a weird texture, and the fish was well cooked, but bland. Overall, they could see how this would be appropriate fare at the South Pole, but it definitely did not fit their palates. Still, they sucked it up and ate their fill, all the while thinking in their heads that this was important to their survival to get them through.

After dinner, the dishes were cleared away and they were all sitting around the fire listening to the men exchange increasingly embarrassing stories about each other. Afterwards, Zuko and Lin Zu were led to a small ice and animal pelt structure that was like a small storage shed to sleep in.

As the meager sunlight faded for the night, the temperature dropped drastically. Normally, the wouldn't have felt it on their insulated metal ship full of fire benders and a coal driven engine, but lying there in the ground, with nothing but an animal pelt and a thin bed roll between them and the ice, it was cold. To keep warm, they combined their bed rolls and cuddled together practicing stoking their inner flames while not melting their shelter.

The next morning, Zuko and Lin Zu joined Hakoda and his family for the morning meal. However, they were interrupted by a scout.

"Chief Hakoda! There is a Fire Nation ship just north of here, and it's heading this way!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

** Ok people, this is the last chapter I have pre-written. I will try to figure out just exactly where this story is going, but posts will probably be even farther between now. **

** Um, I am still looking for that one review that will tell me that I am loved, and that I am not just talking to myself up here, in case anyone feels the urge… **

**But, anyway, here's the next chapter:**

Everyone quickly ran outside. The old woman, Kana, stayed by the door, while Hakoda, the scout, Bato, Sokka, Katara, Zuko and Lin Zu hurriedly made their way to the place where the scout had seen the ship. From their hiding spot, they could see the ship perfectly; and there was no mistaking it was Zhao's ship.

"Zhao," Zuko and Lin Zu cursed simultaneously under their breath.

"I thought your uncle went to lead him off?" Sokka asked.

"He did. One of two things must have happened: either, Uncle and Zhao missed each other completely, or Uncle has fallen," Zuko stated.

"They're heading this way; he must know there's a settlement here," Lin Zu added.

"Hakoda, what do we do?" Bato asked. Lin Zu and Zuko watched him warily. Soberly, Hakoda realized that they expected him to hand them over to Zhao.

"Let's head back to the village, and I'll let you know," Hakoda said.

The entire village was gathered in the village square. Hakoda stood before them,

"Everyone there is a fire Nation battleship heading towards our village. They are after our guests; Zuko and Lin Zu."

There was some disgruntled muttering and the women and children closest to them backed away.

"I do not blame them, and we will protect them: we will not hand them over to capture and death.

"I want all the women and children to stay in the meeting house. Katara, in the back wall that butts against the outer wall, I want you to leave just a thin layer of snow and ice that will be easy to break through should something happen. Cover the hole with a pelt, and that will be the escape route. When you're done, find an extra parka and make Lin Zu look as Water Tribe as you can.

"Men, I want you all prepared for battle, weapons, war-paint, and all. Sokka, take Zuko with you and get him war-paint, a parka and a weapon. Zuko and Lin Zu will hide out in the meeting house, but just in case the Fire Nation goes looking, I want them to be able to blend in," Hakoda instructed. The women shuffled off behind Katara, while Zuko and Sokka disappeared in the flurry of men preparing for battle, leaving Lin Zu alone with Hakoda for the moment.

"Why would you do this for us?" Lin Zu asked him, "Why would you put your family, your entire village on the line for us?"

"Lin Zu, I made a promise to your uncle, not in so many words, but when I agreed to let you and your brother stay, I also promised to keep you safe until your uncle could return. That and it's the right thing to do," Hakoda said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Their moment was interrupted by an orange blur. It rocketed by overhead with an excited yell, did a loop then landed next to Hakoda.

"Hey Chief Hakoda! What's going on? Why is everyone painting their faces?" the small, bald, boy dressed in orange, and with blue arrow tattoos on his head and hands said in rapid succession.

"Aang, you need to stay hidden. Go to the meeting house and stay there," Hakoda said. Lin Zu stayed silent as the bald little boy zoomed away. Once he had disappeared into the meeting house, she turned to Hakoda.

"He's an airbender," she stated, her face betraying nothing.

"Yes," Hakoda sighed.

"We'll deal with it later. Let's focus on getting Zhao away from here without hurting anyone," Lin Zu said. Katara had just come out of the meeting house, and Lin Zu went to join her. Hakoda wondered just what he had gotten himself into.

Lin Zu followed Katara into another building where Katara started pulling out an assortment of clothes in all shades of blue.

"Here's a tunic, blue leggings, tigerseal boots, a parka and some mittens. I'll wait outside; if you need any help getting anything on, just let me know," Katara said.

"Thank you," Lin Zu replied, shedding her steel soled boots, and red and black clothes. Once she had donned the Water Tribe outfit, she brought Katara back in.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked. Katara looked her over, then said,

"I don't think blue is really your color."

"No, I agree. But just as long as we can fool Zhao. Besides, I'll just be in the meeting house anyway," Lin Zu shrugged, pulling her hair out of her top knot.

"Here, would you like me to fix your hair like mine? Your hair may be black, but you'd fit in a lot better with a traditional hair style," Katara offered.

"Sure, if you don't mind," Lin Zu said.

Within minutes, Lin Zu had a similar style to what Katara was wearing. Two loops of hair hung in front of her face, looped back and were anchored somehow to the back of her head. And the rest of her long hair was pulled back into two braids.

"What do you think?" Katara asked when she was finished, handing Lin Zu a small hand mirror.

"I like it, but how do you stand these… hair loopies?" she responded, trying to blow one out of her way.

Katara giggled, "I guess you just have to get used to it."

"Well, we should probably get going," Katara said, "I'll walk you to the meeting house."

"Ugh, yeah ok…" Lin Zu said reluctantly. They passed by the men who had assembled near the wall. Lin Zu was actually hard pressed to find her brother among them; all the men had their faces painted in similar black, blue and white, and their parkas hoods were up. If Zuko hadn't looked so miserable, she wouldn't have been able to see him at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

** OK, for those of you still reading this story: I was convinced by **Raine1902 ** to keep uploading chapters. **

**I was planning on this chapter being longer, but I've hit a bit of writer's block and it's a struggle to get any writing done lately, so here's what I have.**

Hakoda directed his men to gather near the wall. Zuko would be standing guard near the meeting house where the women and children would be with Sokka. Lin Zu noted that the Airbender had enough sense to hide himself somewhere. The women were quietly huddled by the back wall with their children. Lin Zu huffed and strode over to the doorway. She peeked out: there was nothing going on yet, except a bit a 'black snow,' as the people of the Water Tribes called it, falling from the sky.

"I hate this waiting. And I hate having to hide. I can fight," she said, crossing her arms.

"We're trying to avoid fighting, remember? If we fight Zhao's men, this village is going to be melted to the ground," Zuko reminded her from his station outside.

"And besides," Katara added, approaching Lin Zu, "you're a Water Tribe woman for the time being, and we don't fight. Unless absolutely necessary," she amended.

"I still don't like it," Lin Zu said.

"That's understandable, but we don't need a huge fight on our hands right now. I just want Zhao to go away," Zuko sighed.

The three of them were silent. Then there was a horrible cracking of ice, and a Fire Nation battleship came into view from around a huge iceberg. From their vantage point, they could see men scurrying about on the deck of the ship; Zhao stood at the prow, an ominous black shadow against the sun.

Zuko's jaw tightened and he straightened up a bit. Katara's eyes grew wide and she withdrew into the building. Lin Zu's face was stony as she crouched down lower and closed the gap in the hangings more. The ice cracked against the steel hull of the battleship, coming to a stop very near the wall surrounding the village.

The gang plank, though it was much more than that really, lowered and Zhao was there already, flanked by his firebenders. He calmly strode forward in rigid military posture, stopping feet from Chief Hakoda.

"I'm looking for the… chief of this… village," he said, emphasizing his words with a curl of his lips.

"You're looking at him," Chief Hakoda said, stepping forward.

"Oh, good," Zhao said sarcastically, "I am looking for traitors to the Dragon Throne. Anyone caught harboring them will be punished. Now, have you seen these two criminals?" Zhao asked, taking a scroll from one of his lackeys, and flicking it open. Unsurprisingly, there were pictures of Zuko and Lin Zu on the inside.

"No," Hakoda responded after a quick scrutiny of the scroll.

Zhao looked skeptical, and for a moment, Hakoda expected him to start throwing fireballs.

"Well, if you do, give them this message from Commander Zhao," Zhao motioned a couple of his men forward, and they approached, dragging with them, a bruised and battered man with short gray hair. He was bleeding, ready to collapse, and holding a suspicious looking sack. They two soldiers dumped the man unceremoniously at Hakoda's feet.

Zhao then turned on his heel, and headed back into his ship, the soldiers following him obediently.

Hakoda waited until they were gone, the gang plank was up, and the ship was moving away before motioning for his men to pick up the poor man. Another took the sack.

They brought him carefully into the village. Hakoda saw a movement in the doorway of the meeting place, and then Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Lin Zu were approaching them. Lin Zu let out a gasp when she caught sight of the man.

"Lieutenant Jee!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

** Funny story: the last chapter didn't really end where I had been planning to end it, despite the warning at the beginning. So, this chapter is the one where you all will hate me by the end of. I apologize in advanced, but everything happens for a reason.**

**(I also apologize that it's so short)**

"_Lieutenant Jee!"_

Lin Zu and Zuko rushed forward at the sight of the battered Lieutenant. Jee struggled to lift his head and look at them. When he finally saw them his eyes widened, and he struggled to free himself of the Water tribesmen's grips, only to throw himself in a traditional overtly formal bow in front of the two. With his forehead buried in snow, he said,

"Prince Zuko, Princess Lin Zu, forgive me. We did what we could, but Zhao had overwhelming numbers. Forgive me!" he sounded a little choked up.

"Lt. Jee…. What?" Lin Zu asked, shooting her brother a concerned glance. Zuko simply looked grim.

Jee lifted his head and nodded toward the sack he had been left with. The Water tribesman that had picked it up looked down at it. He lifted one hand to open it, but the hand came away red. His head shot up and he looked around at the gathered warriors. Then, slowly, he undid the tie keeping the sack closed, and peeked in. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Well, what is it?" Hakoda asked the man.

The man moved closer to his chief and showed him.

"Tui and La," Hakoda cursed.

"Well?" Lin Zu demanded. Zuko was noticeably silent. The men moved to show the contents of the bag when Zuko finally moved.

"No!" he shouted, wrapping his arms around her and bodily turning her away, "Don't show her! I don't want her to see!"

"Zuko, What-?" Lin Zu asked.

"Uncle's dead, that's all you need to know," he said, tightening his arms around her. "He's dead."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its copyrights, though Lin Zu is mine.**

**Please I just want everyone who reads this chapter that Lin Zu and Zuko's little memorial for Uncle was completely fabricated from my VERY limited knowledge of such things, I do not pretend to know how it is officially done and mean no offense to anyone. **

"_Uncle's dead, that's all you need to know," he said, tightening his arms around her. "He's dead."_

Lin Zu started crying then, though there were no hysterics or wailing, just silent tears running down her face. She sent a prayer up to Agni to take care of Uncle's spirit, and buried her face in the fur of Zuko's borrowed parka.

Hakoda approached the two, looking sympathetic; "I'm sorry," he said.

Zuko simply nodded, and lead Lin Zu towards the hut where their packs were stowed.

Zuko deposited her on the pile of skins in the corner of the room, and then began to rifle through their packs. He only looked up when Lin Zu let out a horrified gasp.

"A picture of Uncle. We don't have a picture of Uncle!"

Zuko looked at her from where he had set up a little altar with two sticks of incense, a piece of paper he had written "Iroh, son of Azulon and Ilah, Beloved Uncle" and a small pouch containing Uncle's favorite blend of ginseng tea. Lin Zu blinked, and the tears started again. The two of them knelt before their sad little makeshift altar and prayed to Agni to guide their Uncle's spirit home.

Hours later, Lin Zu had replaced most of her own attire, keeping only the warm parka, and redone her hair in the manner in which she was accustomed, and wandered away from the tent. She was kneeling by the edge of the ice shelf, looking down into her reflection in the water. She held her brother's dagger in her hand; the one Uncle had given him as a memento from the Siege of Ba Sing Se.

These years at sea, and more devastatingly, the death of Uncle had compounded one fact in Lin Zu's mind: her father was crazy. He was power-hungry and cared little for others. She figured that the only reason he looked twice at Azula was because she was just like him. Azula. Thinking of her younger sister always made her sad.

But her thoughts were getting away from her. Lin Zu no longer wanted to be associated with the Royal Family, or even the Fire Nation, as it was. This war was little more than genocide, and Fire Lord Ozai would not stop until the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes had fallen and all other bending practices had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

She had just raised the dagger to the base of her topknot when a voice made her pause;

"Lin Zu, what are you doing?"

Her brother. Zuko. He had always been the best older brother she could have ever asked for. He tried so hard and got nothing in return. Even hearing his voice made her that much angrier at her father, well her sire, Uncle would always be more of a father to them in her eyes. In anger, she dragged the dagger through the topknot. The half of her hair that had been held up by it now swung down to reach her chin. Calmly, she threw the topknot sans the ornament- that was a gift from her mother- into the ocean, and stood to face Zuko. He didn't look surprised. She said nothing as she handed him the dagger and walked back toward the village.

She was only a few steps away when she heard something hit the water.


End file.
